Samsung launches its first Tizen-powered smartphone Z1 for Rs 5,700 in India

Within a week of introducing its Galaxy 'A' series of smartphones in the Indian market, Samsung has now launched its first Tizen-powered smartphone. Christened Samsung Z1, the device sports a 4 inch display and runs on the Tizen, an open-source operating system.

According to the company, Samsung Z1 delivers a faster boot time and quick access to apps, along with enhanced web performance to offer users faster page loading times with decreased data usage. A budget smartphone, it has been priced at Rs 5,700 in the country.

â€‹"The smartphone market in India is rapidly evolving, with many consumers using their device as their screen of choice for content including videos, television programs and video games, as well as a range of apps. We have customised the Samsung Z1 to meet these unique, entertainment-focused needs of local Indian consumers," said Hyun Chil Hong, president and CEO, Samsung India Electronics.

Specifications

The smartphone has a 4 inch WVGA capacitive touchscreen display (800x480 pixels resolution) and runs on the Tizen 2.3 operating system. It is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and has 768MB of RAM. The internal memory of the device is 4GB that can be further expanded up to 64GB with a microSD card.

Samsung Z1 has a 3.1 megapixel rear camera that can also record videos and a front-facing VGA camera for video calling. Additional features of the camera include auto face detect and dream shot, among others. On the connectivity front, the smartphone has Bluetooth 4.1, Wi-Fi, 3G, as well as a microUSB port and a microSD card slot.

The dimensions of the device are 120.4mm x 63.2mm x 9.7mm and its weight is 112 gm. Samsung has provided a 1,500 mAh battery in the smartphone that the company claims will provide up to 7 hours of video playback and 8 hours of talk time. It comes with GPS (with A-GPS support), dual-SIM capability, and will be available in white, black and wine red colours.

The smartphones comes with an 'Ultra Power Saving Mode', which lets the phone remain operational even at minimal battery levels, and a 'Private Mode' that adds an extra layer of security for important files and documents. Additional features include SOS alert- sends out a 'Help' message (by pressing the power button four times) to the user's primary contacts and track the user's location to provide necessary assistance; and built-in Antivirus protection that automatically checks for viruses when users install an app, check email or receive an SMS.

Freebies

According to Samsung, it will launch a free entertainment package called 'Joy Box', giving users access to music, TV and movies. Samsung Z1 will also offer consumers free access to premium content available on 'Club Samsung'. Users can stream and download from over 270,000 songs, and watch over 80 live TV channels.
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The company has partnered with Hungama.com to offer over two million Bollywood and English songs for free for a period of three months. It has also partnered with mobile live TV service nexGTv and Box TV allowing consumers to watch TV shows and over 7,000 Bollywood and Hollywood movies for three months.
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In addition, Reliance and Aircel subscribers will get up to 500MB of 3G data free every month over a six month period.